Scarf
by dyo
Summary: Two people are reminded by the past what they can share together in the future.


Scarf  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru Fanfic  
  
by dyosa :)  
  
Disclaimers apply. Rurouni Kenshin characters do not belong to me. Own   
  
by Nobuhiro Watsuki, Shonen Jump, blah blah blah.   
  
Warning: Spoilers. Maybe just abit ^_^  
  
timeline: a year, or so, after the Jinchuu Arc  
  
*****  
  
*Coff!*   
  
Kaoru waved her hand in dismay as a fluff of dust flew around her,   
  
causing her to squint her eyes through the somewhat deserted belongings,   
  
whatever's left of them.  
  
"Kenshin no baka! I can't believe he's able to clean the whole   
  
house except for his room!" Kaoru muttered as she sort out Kenshin's few   
  
possessions lying untouched in one corner. After finding an empty sturdy   
  
box in the storeroom, she decided to give it to Kenshin where he can put   
  
his things away. Then remembering that he went out to buy some tofu, she   
  
hesitantly took the chore for herself and entered his room. It was a mess,   
  
though it was unthinkable that Kenshin Himura, their Mr. Housekeeper,   
  
could be so sloppy to forget tidying his own things.  
  
"Well, that's our Kenshin. Always putting others first, and making   
  
him last." Kaoru sighed.  
  
As she dusted off the last of his things and placed it into the box,   
  
she noticed a neatly folded garment at the bottom of the sack. Slowly   
  
picking it up, she noticed the silky texture of the cloth. As she placed it in   
  
a brighter light, it still has its faint purple hue and a bit tattered on the   
  
edges, nothing more. Though it seems that it has more care through the  
  
years compared to the other worn out clothes Kenshin had.   
  
"A scarf? I wonder..." Kaoru murmured, as she felt the cloth with   
  
her fingers, feeling its cold silkiness. As she inspected the silk closer to her   
  
face, she caught a whiff of white plum from it.  
  
/That scent.../ her brows furrowed, somewhat assessing her find   
  
and trying to search in her mind the familiarity of that smell. Suddenly, it   
  
dawned to her, then gasped,  
  
"Tomoe!"  
  
"Kaoru! I'm home!" Kenshin unexpectedly called from outside,   
  
making Kaoru squeak but was thwarted with her hand, keeping herself from   
  
getting heard and feeling like a sneak all the while. She hurriedly closed   
  
the lid of the box, but kept the scarf inside the fold of her yukata.  
  
When she slid the shoji open, she found Kenshin face to face with   
  
his hand raised in an attempt to open the door.   
  
"Kaoru? What are you doing here?... I mean..." Kenshin asked   
  
without thinking, both surprised and apprehensive of his poorly chosen   
  
words.  
  
"Oh! Anou--I just--I, well. I brought a box--and... I just want to   
  
give it to you for your things..." she stammered, knowing that she's already  
  
blushing furiously, "I already placed your things, so... bye!" then hurriedly   
  
stepped onto the corridor and disappeared around the corner.  
  
"Oroo?!" Kenshin said, now totally confused.  
  
After that incident that morning, Kaoru was unusually quiet   
  
throughout the afternoon. Many things had been running through her   
  
mind, only because of one piece of scarf.   
  
She stared unseeingly beyond the opened shoji doors where a   
  
thick blanket of prestine snow covered the whole yard, snow-capping   
  
rooftops and the high walls as well. A few would float about as the trees   
  
were slightly shoved by the wintry winds, like white sakura petals gracefully  
  
floating to the ground. Yahiko was out in the Akabeko helping Tsubame   
  
and Tae with the customers, since its the winter season and their steaming   
  
soba soup was definitely selling nowadays. Kenshin was outside raking the   
  
snow-covered path by the gates.  
  
Kaoru clutched the silk scarf unconsciously, feeling its smoothness,   
  
admiring its eminent elegance.  
  
/She must have given this to him when he's cold./ she thought, a   
  
bit sad and envious.  
  
She then looked at Kenshin, and at the crudely knitted blue scarf   
  
wrapped around his neck. She gave it to him after going through two   
  
arduous weeks of knitting, though not really knowing if he liked it at all.   
  
/He always smiles politely at everything I do or give./ she thought ruefully.  
  
She gazed down at her tea, a despondent look painted on her   
  
face.   
  
/She must have had a good taste in terms of clothes. Kenshin   
  
said she was very calm and composed. I bet she was very elegant and beautiful.   
  
She even knew how to cook! With the way Kenshin spoke of her, he must   
  
have adored her very much./ she sighed, closing her eyes in defeat.  
  
"Kaoru? Is everything alright?" Kenshin's voice suddenly   
  
penetrated her thoughts, making her turn her head at him abruptly. He   
  
was standing by the doorway, bits of snowflakes covering his head and   
  
shoulders, a worried expression etched on his face.  
  
"Uh, hai. I'm fine." Kaoru said, smiling at him sadly.  
  
"I... see." Still not convinced, he was about to say something when  
  
Kaoru suddenly stood up and collected the tea tray from the table.  
  
"I'll just put this in the kitchen. It's near dinner time." she said,   
  
her tone less vibrant than before.  
  
Kenshin watched her walked away sedately, his mind trying to   
  
analyze the situation, but helplessly came out with nothing.  
  
Assuming that Yahiko won't be coming early for dinner, Kenshin   
  
cooked something just enough for him and Kaoru. It had been awefully   
  
quiet, and Kenshin was agitated. He didn't know what was troubling Kaoru   
  
and it worried him every second.   
  
/I know I washed all the dishes that morning, and she's still in a   
  
good mood before I left for the market.../ Kenshin listed in his mind as he   
  
absently stirred the boiling pot of soup.  
  
"Is it ready, yet? The table's already set." Kaoru called from the   
  
door.  
  
"Hai!" Kenshin called out smiling, only returned with a small smile.  
  
/I have got to do something about this./ Kenshin thought,   
  
determination etched in his face.  
  
They silently finished eating dinner, but Kenshin planned to   
  
confront her afterwards. Kaoru offered to do the dishes, reasoning out that   
  
he already did the cooking. He agreed and proceeded on putting up the   
  
fire in the other room, all the while thinking of what to say. She entered   
  
the room, already cozy with warmth, Kenshin already finished with the tea   
  
and offered her a steaming cup after she sat down.  
  
"Arigato." Kaoru said.  
  
They kept silent for a while sitting side by side, the shoji doors   
  
slightly opened just enough to view the mountains' silhoutte against the   
  
silver gray clouds and the glistening snow-covered ground. It wasn't windy   
  
unlike yesterday, and the still chilly air was kept away by the fire's heat   
  
crackling inside the room.  
  
Kaoru was still in deep with her thoughts, her eyes low-lidded   
  
with a somewhat sad reminiscing.   
  
"Kaoru?" Kenshin voiced out testily.  
  
"D-doushite?" Kaoru replied, a bit distracted.  
  
"I know something's bothering you. Why don't you tell me?"   
  
Kenshin pleaded, his eyes doing all the more.  
  
Kaoru looked at him, her eyes pleading as well, but not to ask   
  
anymore. "Anou... Kenshin--"  
  
"Onegai?" Kaoru now had his full attention, as he faced her fully.   
  
Kaoru's resolve broke, then laid the tea cup she'd been tightly   
  
holding all the while on the tray. Her cheeks were already pink with   
  
embarassment and guilt as she pulled out the scarf from the fold of her   
  
yukata and handed it to him.  
  
Kenshin's eyes widen at the sight of the familiar scarf, but softened  
  
when he looked at Kaoru's face, her blushing cheeks deepening all the   
  
more with his reaction.  
  
"I--I was fixing your things when I stumbled unto this..." she said   
  
meekly, eyes down-casted and fingers nervously fumbling with the hem of   
  
her yukata, "and... and I know it's from Tomoe."  
  
"Sou da ne." Kenshin replied thoughtfully, getting the silk linen  
  
from her and continued after a pause, "Is this why you've been so quiet all the   
  
time?"  
  
"Ah...well... yes." Kaoru whispered. Kenshin didn't reply, waiting   
  
for her to continue. "It's--it's very beautiful."  
  
"Hai, it was. It had helped me a lot while I was a hitokiri."   
  
Kenshin said, rubbing the scarf between his fingers, reminiscing its smooth   
  
feel years ago.  
  
Kaoru didn't speak. Kenshin looked at her with a rueful expression in his   
  
eyes.  
  
"It has somehow kept me composed. A reminder of a good friend   
  
who saved my life. And a reason why she did so, in order for me to live."   
  
Kaoru looked at him then, a questioning look in her eyes.  
  
"I know she wanted me to continue helping give way for the Meiji   
  
Era. All the killings and bloodshed..." Kenshin had a far-away look in his   
  
eyes, but went on, "But even though I know she's already gone at that time,   
  
it feels like she was still watching over me, protecting me. She had kept me safe  
  
from madness even in her death, and I'm forever thankful for that."  
  
"But now," Kenshin looked at her, eyes as warm as the fire   
  
burning beside them, "I need something to keep me warm, comforted,   
  
sheltered. And the one you gave me has given me more than I can hope   
  
for."   
  
Kaoru looked at him, her eyes unusually bright. She was surprised   
  
when he suddenly held her shoulders and pulled her to him firmly, but   
  
gently, the warmth of his body comfortably enfolding her.  
  
"You gave me more than I can hope for." he whispered to her ear.  
  
Kaoru's eyes softened, and returned his embrace with her own.   
  
She rested her head on his shoulders, feeling completely... happy. /And I  
  
promise to take care of you always, Kenshin. To comfort, to shelter.../   
  
To love.  
  
"And you gave me more than I can hope for." she whispered back.  
  
Kenshin kissed her temple tenderly, smiling unseeingly through the  
  
whiteness of snow.  
  
Aishiteru.  
  
OWARI  
  
*****  
  
YEEEEEEY!!!! my first K&K fic!!!! ^__^ 


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